Car-seal.



W. C. 6: G. R. MARTINEAU.

GAR SEAL.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 9, 1914.

1,1 1 5,952, Patented N0v.3, 1914.

J4 J7 1 H 45 41 FE E1 44 j l 63 frzveni-ors z'inesses: I Mm i W WJi-torney NORRIS PETERS CO. FHOTO-LITh I. WASHINGTON. D, c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM C. MARTINEAU AND CLARENCE R. MARTINEAU, OF ALBANY, NEW YORK.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, VVILLIAM C. MARTI-v NEAU and CLARENCE R. MARTINEAU,both citizens of the United States, and residents of Albany, Albanycounty, New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCar-Seals, of which'the following is a specification. I

Our invention relates to. seals'for car, store-room and like doors,meters, trunks and" boxes in transportation, and simllar purposes. Thepurpose of such a seal is of course not to prevent a forcible open ng ofthe car or receptacle, but only tOgIVG prompt notice that such openinghas been made. It is therefore essential that the seal shall beincapable,'after having been tampered with, of being restored to anyappearance of its ori inal integrity.

The object of our inventionis to produce a cheap, simple seal inttwoparts only, having a tag portion capable of receiving the impress of asealingtool, easily attachable by any unskilled person, and incapable ofrestoration, as above stated.

In the drawings, Figure l isi a front elevation of a seal embodying ourinvention in its engaged position; Fig. 2 shows in perspective theshackle detached; Fig. 3 is a side elevation of'the combined box and tagportion; Fig. 4 is a horizontal section through the plane 44, Fig.1;Figs. 5 and 6 are respectively side and front elevations of a slightlymodified form of box and tag portion; Fig. 7 shows a modified shackle;Figs. 8 and 9 show modified parts ready for assembling, I the shacklebeing partly broken away.

Referring to the first four figures, 11 designates an integral box andtag portion, comprising tag 12, rear box wall 13, top box wall 14, frontbox wall 15, lower box wall 16 and plate17, which last bears against andis firmly welded to rear wall 13. 21 is a shackle shown as formed froman integral strip of sheet metal and comprising body 22, having aquarter turn near each of its ends, and engaging portions, each having asharp transverse return'bend 23,

a series of longitudinal superposed return bends. 24 and a hooked endconslsting of members 25 and 26. The two parts are assembledby weldingone end of the shackle within the box shown in Figs. 1 and 2, plate 25and the opposite face of bends 24 Specification of Letters Patent.Application filed June 9, 1914.

as shown ineith'er Fig. l or 5.

Serial No. 843,971.

Patented Nov. 3, 1914.

being secured to walls 13 and 15, the resilient hook member 26 being ofcourse left free.

In practice, we prefer to weld within the box the left end of theshackle having a slightly longer hook member 26, but this is,

of course immaterial.

In operation, the body 22 of the shackle is passed through the staple orthrough the two parts of a fixture to be secured together, and the'freeend offthe shackle pressed into the end of the box until the resilienthook members 26 have passed and engaged each other, as shown in-Fig. 4.It will be seen that the ends of the box are completely filled by thebends 23 and 24, so as toabsolutely prevent the insertion of any tool bywhich the hooks might possibly be disengaged, and that the sharptransverse bends 23 are positioned half within and half without the endsof the box, so that any attempt to pull out the shackle end would resultin breaking the strip at thea'lready strained'junction of the sides ofthe bend, thus leaving the box effectually stoppered. This feature formsno part of the present invention, being the subject of an Martineau, oneof the present applicants, on March 13th, 1914, Serial Number'824,533.

The modification shown in Figs. 5 and 6 merely consists in forming thebox, portion of the integral box and tag 31 with its longer walls 34 and36 at right angles with the tag 32, so that a shackle like that alreadydescribed except for the commission of the quarter turns would lie inthe same plane with the tag, the shackle end being welded to these walls34, 36. The alteration in the shackle is so slight that it is thoughtunnecessary to make a special drawing thereof. In Fig. 7 is: shown ashackle differing from that of Fig.2 chiefly in that both ends of itsloop or bight project from the same end of the box. Its body or loop 42is bent at one end to form a transverse member 43 and a parallel member44 having a reverted hook end 45, the member 44 and the portion of thestrip opposite thereto, being as before firmly welded within the box,which may be The free end of the shackle is formed into parts 23 to 36,as in Fig. 2. It will be understood that the operation of the completedevice will be like that of the forms described.

I, In Figs. 8 and 9, the integral box and tag application filed by Wm.G.

portion 51 is composed of parts 52 to 57 precisely like the analogousparts 12 to 17 of Fig. 8, except that lower box wall 56 is very slightlyshorter, so that plate 57 is spaced away from the rear wall 53 adistance equal to the thickness of the metal of which the shackle 61 isformed. This shackle, instead of being cutfrom a long strip of metal asbefore, is blanked from a sheet so as to have a lateral projection 62,shown as pierced at 63. This part 62 is substantially of equaldimensions with plate 57 and is welded between parts 58 and 57 of thebox portion. It is first formed with engaging hooked ends constructedand functioning as already described. The end which is permanentlywithin the box, comprising parts 64:, 65 and 66, similar to parts 43, 4eand 45 of Fig. 7, is shown, the other end being broken away as beinglike the right ends of both forms of Figs. 2 and 7.

It will be obvious that modifications other than those shown may be madewithout departing from the spirit of our invention.

It may be well to explain that the tag portions 12, 32 and 52 areintended to be stamped both before and after assembling with insignia ofownership and the like; and that the thickness of the metal of which allparts are made is exaggerated for clearness of illustration. Anadvantageous gage for both partsisabout .015, though this may be variedas desired.

What we claim is:

l. A car seal comprising an integral box and tag portion consisting of ablank of thin sheet metal folded at one end to form a transverseopen-end box, the long side of which is securely closed; and a shacklehaving a hook at each end and a thickened part adjacent each of saidhooks and adapted to fill an end of said box, said hooks being adaptedto interlock within said box, one end of said shackle being securedtherein.

2. A car seal comprising an integral box and tag portion consisting of ablank of thin sheet metal folded at one end to form a transverseopen-end box and a plate depending therefrom, said plate being welded tothe body of the blank whereby the long side of said box is securelyclosed by a line of welding of substantial width; and a shackle having ahook at each end and a thickened part adjacent each of said hooks andadapted to fill an end-of said box, said hooks being adapted'tointerlock within said box, one end of said shackle being welded therein.

WILLIAM G. MARTINEAU. CLARENCE R. MABTINEAU. Witnesses Gno. L. Ooornn,WM. W. MORRILL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. 0.

